Vail Athletic Club to host open house

Related Media

VAIL - Out with the old and in with the new. After 35 successful years, the Vail Athletic Club (VAC), part of the Vail Vitality Center, is vaulting into the future of fitness and total wellness with a complete physical remodel of the gym floor and a brand new vision. The club's new philosophy and open concept gym centers on personalization; providing people with a prescription for their best life. The complete transformation takes place this week and the new concept will take the VAC far into the future of total wellness.

Emerging trends in fitness include a return to simplicity: calisthenics; natural flow; more room to move. The VAC's new open concept fitness floor lends itself perfectly to this new direction. The VAC's machines are being replaced with biomechanically correct and low-impact cardio machines, which allow for full extension and proper use of muscle groups. They also allow users to realize the full benefit of every exercise with proper alignment.

"This exciting new direction really involves reinventing the wellness experience for every body," said Vail Vitality Center Director and fitness industry veteran Jeff Morgan. "People will experience a complete shift in energy when they walk through our doors. We want to surprise them with a different philosophy about personal health, providing a complete vision of who they are as a well person. We are here to build lifelong methods that inspire progress for all fitness enthusiasts and performance seekers."

Beyond the machines, the space layout takes into account human movement patterns, rather than packing equipment into every nook and cranny. The fitness floor encourages personal use, with or without a trainer, by maximizing technology. Each station sports a QR code, which, when scanned with a Smart Phone, provides the user with an educational video detailing the most effective ways to utilize equipment based upon individual variables like height, weight, age, etc. The machines, designed by Cybex, ensure low-impact to the joint and high use of the muscle, building strength and stability. The entire experience is designed to develop muscles for balance and longevity in a user's favorite activities in life.

"Most membership-based gyms neglect to focus on safety, or the effectiveness of the equipment they choose," said Morgan. "The machines we've chosen place the body in the proper position to get the most out of each movement pattern, without overloading the spinal cord. And our trainers are dedicated to creating safe, effective, customized experiences."

The new set-up also enables fitness professionals to blend programs and classes with workouts in the open gym, especially during high movement pattern classes like the VAC's Killer X training, creating more options.

This concept, and the philosophy behind it, represents the future of fitness because it is focused on improving human movement patterns for sustainable life activity. It allows for completely customized wellness programming.

"In one week we can shift someone's energy, building a platform from which they can perform better for the rest of their life," added Morgan. "We want to know what your challenges have been - in health, in life - and how they've affected you. And we want to empower you by showing you the best ways you, as an individual, can be healthy throughout your life."

The VAC's new philosophy is appropriate for all ages and abilities, and is designed to enhance and improve performance. The experience is available to members and guests beginning this week.

The VAC is hosting an open house Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will celebrate the past, and those who where part of the club's history, and introduce the VAC of the future. The community is invited and welcome to attend.

For information, or a tour of the new concept fitness floor, contact Jeff Morgan at 970-477-3265 or jeff@vailmountainlodge.com, or visit the new Vail Athletic Club at the Vail Vitality Center at Vail Mountain Lodge.